A Second Chance
by OfCabbagesandKings10647
Summary: Vossler had died. So why was he lying alive and well in the Westersand? Picked up by Vaan and Penelo, Vossler joins their quest to find a treasure that is linked to his revival. Eventual Vossler/Vaan, eventually has a potential to go M-rated.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welp here it is. The beginning. Hopefully I don't disappoint too much. Please review, I need the criticism to improve!**

**Also, I do not own any part of FFXII **

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Vossler's last memory was aboard the Shiva, on his knees and reliving every moment of the past two years of his life. Where had he gone wrong? When did he start losing sight of his ultimate goal, to see his Majesty regain the throne and free Dalmasca of Archadian control? Why did he ever try and make a deal with the Archadian empire in the first place? He should have realized it was a fool's gambit, but he was so desperate to see Dalmasca free again. Not to mention his duty was to _protect_ the princess, not hand her over to the enemy! If only he could turn back time, think things through a little better, trust his men more, not be so damn _paranoid_, maybe the whole situation could have been avoided, and he would still be at Her Majesty's side.

"_Your Majesty...Lady Ashe... I'm so sorry."_

Vossler closed his eyes as the ship crumbled onto him, and the world was engulfed by a flash of light, before everything went dark.

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Vossler was dead. He was sure of it. So why did he keep getting flashes of - what he assumed was - life? Not his life either, but flashes of Ashe and the sky pirates she was travelling with.

First they were in Jahara, with the garif, then in what he assumed was the Golmore Jungle. Yes, it had to be, there they were in the viera village. Before he knew it, Ashe was in the Paramina Rift, the freezing weather taking its toll on Humes used to warmer climates, then on Mt Bur-Omisace, meeting with the Gran Kiltias. The scene blurred into the next, showing Ashe and her party faltering at the mist flowing out of a piece of nethicite, then a man jumping in and destroying it in a brilliant explosion of light. The next scene showed Ashe and her entourage on an airship, headed towards the biggest warship he had ever seen. Vossler saw Ashe defeat the monstrous, nethicite-enhanced Vayne, and he felt her sadness as her airship flew away without the sky pirate Balthier and his partner. He wanted to reach out and console her, tell her that Balthier had done his part, and ensured the safety her and all of Rabanastre. But the image faded, and he was overcome with a sense of calmness, before the glowing figure of a woman appeared in front of him.

The woman, dressed in simple white robes, held herself with an air of grace, her long blonde hair falling gently over her shoulders. Though she radiated with peace, there was no mistaking the undertone of a fierce power that flowed through her every movement. Her eyes, filled with an immense wealth of knowledge, locked onto Vossler, and he began to feel panic rising. As if she knew this, she smiled and her voice echoed through his mind.

"_Do not be afraid, Vossler York Azelas, for I mean you no harm. What you have seen is indeed the events following Princess Ashelia. Though you have been dead for some time now, you have yet to fulfill the purpose placed upon you. As such, I return you to your world. Good luck."_

Before Vossler had a chance to respond, to ask why, ask who she was, the image of the woman faded, and it was dark once more.

Slowly, Vossler became aware of his body, the weight of his armour, of the sun radiating unforgiving heat upon him. His mouth was dry, so dry, and he could feel hunger gnawing at his stomach. The next thing he sensed was the howls of wolves in the distance, and getting closer by the sound of it. Trying to move was near impossible, and when he managed to open his eyes a crack, the wind blew sand into them.

"_Great," _thought Vossler, "_I'm brought back from the dead only to be blinded and die either at the hands of exposure or eaten alive by wolves."_

Wondering what gods were so keen on his torture, though he deserved it in his opinion, and slowly slipping into unconsciousness, he almost missed the sound of voices, and gave a grunt of surprise when he was hoisted to his feet.

"_Perhaps the gods' favor shines on me still." _was Vossler's last thought before darkness finally overtook him.

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**Well there it is folks! Remember to review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again! Here's chapter 2, also kinda short, I apologize, the story looks a lot longer on google docs, but I feel like there's enough content... I think, that would be up to you all to decide. Well, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 12 and its characters do not belong to me.**

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Vossler awoke with a gasp, a cool rag being wiped across his forehead. Eyes snapping open, he was met with the pale eyes of one of the sky pirates that travelled with Ashe.

"Ah, you're awake. Here, eat this." the girl said with a shy smile, helping him sit up, then pushing a tray of food into his lap.

Vossler nodded his thanks, and dug into the modest meal in front of him, moaning in appreciation at the taste. The girl watched him intently, as if he were to disappear at any moment.

Not that he would blame the girl, Penelo if he remembered correctly, for that thought. Afterall, the last that was seen of him was on a ship that was destroyed, and with no way for him to escape.

"So... how are you feeling?" Penelo asked, finally breaking the slightly uncomfortable silence that had fallen upon them.

"Well considering I have been dead for a while, I'd say I'm feeling well." came Vossler's gruff response, unable to stop the smirk spreading across his face at her wide-eyed expression.

"...So you _did_ die." Penelo murmured, her fingers finding their way into the ends of her braids. "How... How are you here then?"

"That, I have no idea. All I know is that I died and saw what happened with Ashe when I was gone. Then a woman was talking to me, and then I was back in my body... wherever you found me, and now I'm wherever "here" is."

"The Westersand, and Vaan's airship ...and what matters is that you're alive now." Penelo stood and took Vossler's finished meal. Placing the tray in a sink, Penelo turned and leaned against the counter.

The knight didn't look a day older from when she last saw him, which would make sense if he was dead for a year and brought back to life.

"_That still doesn't explain the how or why of the situation," _Penelo mused, fingers once again finding themselves in her hair.

"_Although, this is remarkably similar to the alleged events in that book..."_

Penelo hummed in wonder, and pushed herself off the counter.

"Can you walk? There's something I want to show you."

"I can certainly try." Vossler huffed, not one to enjoy being taken care of by others. He swung his legs over the bed, standing on shaky legs. Taking a tentative step forward, he stumbled before regaining his footing, waving off Penelo when she attempted to assist him. Straightening up, Vossler turned to Penelo, who gave an encouraging smile, then proceeded out of the room.

She lead him through a hall and into what could have passed as a dining area, if not for the maps and books strewn across the table and floor and lack of chairs. Penelo then started shuffling things around, momentarily forgetting her company. With a small sound of triumph, Penelo placed a dusty, ancient looking book on the table.

"Vaan and I are looking for a treasure." she began, beginning to turn pages. "What you described and your circumstances are an awful lot like what was described in this book. Disgraced warrior, images of whatever quest being seen-"

"Penelo!" came a brash voice, startling the two. From the hallway stepped out a young blonde man, carrying a bag of what appeared to be food. He was about to say something, when he noticed Vossler in the room. Eyes widening, the man glanced from Vossler to the tome on the table.

"Oh, Vaan! Just put the food down and come over here, I was just about to tell Vossler about the legend."

Hesitating for a moment, Vaan dropped the bag and made his way over, glancing again at Vossler before taking his place next to Penelo.

"Anyway, like I was saying, disgraced warrior, images of events after death, a woman speaking to them, then finding themselves back in their bodies."

"Legend has it," Penelo continued, "that this woman had a following, regarded as a goddess. Her followers would leave offerings at her shrine, somewhere underground. In this book, it's implied that there's quite a substantial amount of treasure there, so that's what we're going for."

"Is that wise?" cut in Vossler. "Raiding the shrine of a god?"

"Well, we know that gods aren't real," countered Vaan, joining the conversation. "The meeting we had with the Occuria proves it, so we're not worried about that."

"However, with Vossler coming back, it _does _make me wonder." mused Penelo, ignoring Vossler's confused look. "Which reminds me, Vossler, did the woman look like this?" Flipping the page, she pushed the tome over towards him. Looking at the image before him, Vossler gasped, unable to hide his surprise.

The image showed a woman holding a spear and a shield, dressed in heavy duty battle armor. From her shoulders came two appendages that looked like wings, the effect enhanced by the fabric that flowed from them. A large metal piece shaped like a U rose from the breast plate, and in the back was a large ring with actual wings dotting the circumference. Although appearing different in garments, Vossler recognized the face, a gentle smile but fierce eyes, blonde hair rippling in an unseen breeze. The eyes of the picture seemed to call out to him, calling him to her.

Tearing his gaze from the picture Vossler looked up to questioning faces of Vaan and Penelo. His shocked expression seemed to hold the answer for Penelo, who flipped the page again. Scanning the page, Penelo pointed to a spot in the book, which Vossler and Vaan looked at and read.

"_Minerva... this is the being that brought me back." _thought Vossler. "_But none of this explains __**why**_ _she brought me back."_

Vossler wanted answers, and the shrine the sky pirates were looking for seemed like the best place to start looking.

"You said you were looking for her shrine correct? Let me come with you."

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**Thanks for reading, please review if you can! Tell me what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here's chapter 3 people! This chapter is short too, but the next two are longer, revealing how Vossy and Vaan feel about the other... Please tell me what you think! Also one last note, I really tried to keep Vossler in character, I mean I read a bunch of character analyses, so if I butcher his character I'm sorry. **

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Vaan and Penelo both snapped their sights to Vossler.

Inwardly wincing, hating that he was essentially begging, Vossler restated. "Let me join your quest. I know not why I was brought back, but perhaps this shrine holds the answer."

Vaan and Penelo exchanged looks, silently communicating with one another.

"Well... We could use the backup." Penelo started, looking away from Vaan.

"But can we trust you?" questioned Vaan, staring intently at the knight.

"And how would I betray you, pray tell?" argued Vossler, eyes narrowing. "I may not have the best track record, but seeing as I am newly alive, I have no current ties to anyone, and it's not treasure I'm seeking."

Vaan merely shrugged, and put his hands behind his head.

"What do you say, Vaan? I think we should let him come." piped Penelo, breaking the tension that covered the room.

Vaan groaned, as Penelo was using her puppy-dog eyes on him, and he could never refuse his sister-figure anything when she gave him those his chin, he sighed. "Oh fine, he can come along."

Relief spread across Vossler's face, and Penelo gave him a triumphant grin. When they first found him, Penelo too was unsure of Vossler, but couldn't bear to leave someone to die in the desert, despite what he might have done in the past. And while he did betray them, his actions showed his loyalty to Dalmasca, which meant he couldn't be all that bad, right?

"Perfect!" exclaimed Penelo. "Since Vossler needs a sword, why don't you two go together and get the supplies we need."

Vossler simply nodded, missing the glare Vaan sent Penelo's way. She just giggled and gave him a smile, ignoring Vossler's questioning glance.

"Well you two had better get going, daylight's a-wasting!"

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Winding their way through the streets of Rabanastre, Vossler was in awe of the the change that had happened in the time he was gone. No longer were there Archadian soldiers posted every few paces in the city. The air no longer carried the feeling of grief and despair, but rather one of joy and happiness. Children played freely in the streets, and adults shopped without the tension he was used to seeing. Rabanastre had truly changed, back to the days before the war and plague, which left Vossler with a small smile.

"_No thanks to you though."_ came a stray thought, instantly wiping his face of any previous happiness.

"_This is what you were hoping for, and yet you were willing to risk it all just because an __**Archadian **__said things would return to normal."_

"_I did what I did for Dalmasca! I just wanted her free again-"_

"_You fool! Not only did you give away Lady Ashe and the Dawn Shard, but you wanted to make treaties with Archadia! An empire so big that they could simply disregard any pacts made and kill Her Majesty without a second thought. Then where would you have been? A dead princess and a kingdom ripe for the taking. And to think you were to protect her... Some knight you are."_

Vossler bowed his head. His thoughts were right. He had failed his duties as a knight, and by extension failed Dalmasca and all her people. He had no right to wear the armor of the Order. In a fit of anger, Vossler began to unbuckle his arm coverings, oblivious to the strange looks he was getting from passing shoppers. He was half way done with one arm, when a hand rested on his, and he looked to see a concerned Vaan staring up at him.

"Um... What are you doing?"

"I'm ridding myself of garments I have no right to wear. I'm a disgrace as a knight, and a disgrace to Dalmasca." Vossler snapped.

"Well, be that as it may, you miiight want to wait to change. You'll be of no use if you're arrested for public indecency."

Vaan grinned as a red hue spread over his companion's face. Sighing, Vossler's hand slipped from his arm, shrugging Vaan off in the process. The latter gave an encouraging smile and went ahead a few paces, looking back only to see Vossler standing where he was before, an upset expression still clouding his face. Huffing in annoyance, Vaan went back and dragged Vossler by the hand through the marketplace, laughing as a deep blush returned to the knight's face.

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**Hope you liked that! Please remember to leave a review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter! This gets into how Vossler feels about Vaan. Hope you like it!**

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The next morning found Vossler in no better mood than the day before in the marketplace. He had no desire to get out of bed to face the new day, rather wanting to go back to sleep to evade his feelings of guilt. But no, today was the day that they set off on their adventure. The night before, Vaan had explained that he and Penelo were close to finding the entrance to the shrine, but had found Vossler before they could exactly pinpoint the location. He had also explained who the Occuria were, the supposed rulers of all of Ivalice and every creature under the sun, like gods in their own right. Vossler was however unconvinced, as he himself "saw" Minerva, and she certainly did not look anything like the creatures Vaan had described. Vaan had scoffed at this, saying that the Occuria could simply manipulate his senses to make it seem like a woman had spoken to him.

Thinking of the day before, Vossler eventually remembered what happened in the streets. The thoughts that plagued him the day before returned, and he groaned and closed his eyes. He had almost made a bigger fool of himself had Vaan not stepped in. Vaan, who was rational in his time of emotional turmoil, who had managed to calm him down... who had also grabbed his hand.

The blush that had graced his face the day before returned, which was odd since he did not normally respond to such things like an adolescent girl. True, he hadn't been touched in such an innocent manner in years, and though he certainly felt a slight attraction towards the younger man, he pegged it down to his being dead for a year, for never had he any trouble in hiding his feelings before.

The attraction was small at first, starting when they had travelled together to Raithwall's tomb. There was no denying that Vaan was an aesthetically pleasing person, and it was also his innocence, having never seen the horrors of the battle field, and carefree personality that drew Vossler to him. It helped too that he wasn't completely useless in defending the Princess. At the time he had kept his distance, knowing he would ultimately betray the party, so there had been no reason to become close. Now however, this mission brought the opportunity to socialize with Vaan, and disappointing he was not. He was still as innocent as ever, if not a bit naïve, even though he had more experience with a sword and the world now. Vaan also seemed to enjoy listening to him, which was a plus since Vossler enjoyed talking more so than listening, though Vaan's own stories were interesting enough to keep his attention. And Vaan's antics amused him. It had been so long since Vossler could laugh freely, and he found himself opening up easily, despite his usual doubts in trusting others.

Sighing, Vossler slowly made his way out of the bed, finally mustering the resolve to do so. After all, today was the day that they went to find the shrine of Minerva, and hopefully get some answers. Putting on his armor, and strapping on his new claymore, he exited the room and made his way to the bridge of the airship. He had hoped that he would be the first there, but instead found Vaan, fidgeting in anticipation to begin the quest.

Looking up, Vaan grinned at Vossler, only to have his smile slip off his face when he noticed the gloom hanging over the knight.

"Something wrong?"

Vossler let out of puff of air, letting his gaze fall to the ground. Vaan tilted his head, waiting for the answer the other seemed to be struggling with.

"Yesterday, the thoughts that were getting the best of me... they returned this morning... These thoughts...remind me of what I've done, and after years of protecting the princess and Dalmasca, serve to remind me that I no longer have a purpose. Disgraced as I might be, I am still a knight, but now a knight with no one to serve."

Vossler hung his head, once again sinking into despair. Vaan, slightly surprised at the outburst, hummed in thought.

"_If he's so hung up about not having a purpose, what if..."_

"What if you swore to protect me?"

Vossler looked up, quirking an eyebrow in surprise. Vaan, looking embarrassed at his outburst, flicked his eyes to the ground, then back up.

"Uh... and Penelo too of course. Can't forget her!" Vaan laughed, attempting to cover up his blunder.

"You need someone to protect you? After your time with the Lady Ashe are you still in need of someone to hold your hand?" Vossler teased. He hadn't thought that the sky pirates would need that much help, especially after defeating him on the Shiva. Before he could further poke fun at this sudden showing of weakness, Vaan crossed his arms and frowned at him.

"Of course we don't _need_ protection. I just figured that with you out of a job, you might appreciate a new task. So if you don't mind, stuff the attitude."

At this Vossler chuckled, noting Vaan's pouting face.

"Twas a jest boy, I doubt you would have lived the ordeal you went through with the Princess if you needed help."

"Oh.. well... yeah. So do ya want a new task or what?"

Vossler looked pensive for a moment, before he got down on one knee and bowed his head, to Vaan's surprise.

" May my sword be your sword, my body your shield. On my honor as a knight, I hereby swear to serve and protect you. May the gods grant me the strength to never falter. With this oath, I pledge my life and servitude to you."

Rising up, Vossler stood to his full height, life coming back into his eyes. While he was now serving sky pirates, he thought it was better than nothing, and beggars couldn't be choosers. Despite the two being against everything he stood for, Vossler figured that he had sunk so low already, serving the pirates would do no more harm. Nodding his thanks to Vaan, the two waited for Penelo before setting off for the Westersand.

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**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So this chapter raises the rating to T since it mentions prostitution. Mm I think that's about it... A look into Vaan's thoughts... yeah that's pretty much all I have to say for this. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I forgot to mention this in the previous two chapters, but Final Fantasy XII is not mine, nor are the characters. **

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After landing the airship, Vaan, Penelo, and Vossler made their way through the Westersand, thanking higher powers for it being a clear day. Stopping yet again to consult with the map, Vaan stole glances over it to look Vossler over when the man was not paying attention. Unfortunately, Vossler took that moment to turn around, smirking and winking when he caught Vaan's wandering eyes, the latter quickly dropping his gaze down.

Vaan was thankful that the midday sun was radiating typical desert heat, if only to pass his pink tinted face off as his body responding to the warmth.

Tucking the map away, the group continued to press forward. Penelo was going on about what she thought they might find, Vossler making appropriate conversation responses when there was pause. For Vaan however, thoughts of the quest and treasure were being dwarfed by images of a certain disgraced captain.

He had always been attracted to older men, and Vossler was no exception. Something about them being older made him feel safe, whether if it was because they generally had more knowledge of the world, or because their build was usually more masculine than his own. The only difference between Vossler and past fancies, excluding Tomaj, was that he was getting to know the knight.

When Vaan had first met Vossler, he was immediately taken by his looks, and later his bravery and loyalty to Ashe. When Vossler had turned their party over to the Archadians, Vaan hid his sorrow for a lost opportunity behind laughter and smiles. He had been hoping to at least talk to the knight a little more, maybe get close, and maybe if he was interested have hot, dirty sex when the rest of them were otherwise occupied.

It wouldn't have been the first time he had done something similar. After all, times had been hard, and being an orphan was difficult, so he had been willing to make some extra gil where he could, if only to keep Penelo and the others from doing the same. Vaan had known his build and features were a little effeminate, so he had no problem flaunting what he had and securing customers. Vaan was thankful that those days of whoring himself out were over, since sometimes clients were less than considerate. Yes, definitely thankful those days were behind him, now that only blue skies and treasure were his present and future.

This was the first big treasure hunt that he and Penelo were doing themselves, having had accompanied Balthier and Fran on some excursions. While he had been a little disappointed that this first quest was so close to home, he was more than satisfied with the developments so far.

He and Penelo had been close, if the map was in fact accurate, to the shrine entrance when they had first found Vossler in the Westersand. While he had been weary of the knight (who wouldn't be, after being handed over to the enemy?), Vaan quickly became comfortable around him while they traded tales in the marketplace. Vossler told stories of the two years leading the Resistance, how his paranoia played a part in his every decision, and Vaan found himself sympathizing with the captain. It must have been dreadfully lonely, not being able to trust his fellow resistance members. With no one to confide in, it was no wonder Vossler did the things he did.

When they began to reminisce about the time traveling to Raithwall's tomb, Vossler became solemn, apologizing for his misdeeds. With new insight to his thought process at the time, Vaan finally understood when Vossler said was only doing what he thought was best for Dalmasca. That had won Vaan over, believing what Vossler said and and reinforcing his belief that the former captain was loyal and true.

Sighing, Vaan went down a mental checklist of the superficial things he liked in a guy. Brave? Check. Tall? Check. Smart, good looking, older than him? Well Vossler was a former captain of the Dalmascan army so he had to have a brain, and while he wasn't the most handsome man in Ivalice, Vaan certainly found him attractive. As for older, well he had to be around Basch's age, so check, check, and check again.

"_Well chocobo dung."_ thought Vaan. "_He fits the bill pretty nicely... now if I can only think of a way to express my interest without being too obvious... Perhaps more staring and some "accidental" touches will get the message across, assuming he's as smart as I think he is."_

"Hey, look at that!" cried Penelo, effectively ending his musings. Looking to where Penelo was pointing, Vaan could see an alcove in one of the sides of the desert landforms.

Making their way towards it, the party could make out some writing about 6 feet above the ground. Though weather worn, they could still make out the writing.

"Peace be to all who enter here, may the light of the Goddess guide your way."

"_Huh, okay, so where's the entrance then?" _Thought Vaan, taking a better look at the wall. Suddenly, there was a thump and a groan sounding behind him. Whipping around, he found Vossler on his knees and clutching at his head, Penelo attempting to assist him. Running over, he too attempted to help Vossler, although he knew not what was affecting him.

"Vossler, are you alright?"

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**Haha! There it is folks. I have established mutual attraction/interest, although they are unaware of it. Hopefully if you are finding this interesting to read I'll be able to keep it that way... Thanks again for reading, please review!**


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